In New York City, the rate of unreadable license plates caught on speed cameras rose in 2022, prompting concerns from safety advocates about scofflaw drivers.
New York City Department of Transportation data reveal that the city has seen a growth in the rate of unreadable license plates caught on automated speed cameras, peaking at 7.38 percent in August of 2022. According to an article by Gersh Kuntzman in Streetsblog NYC, “As a result of unreadable plates — which can result from a car bearing temporary plates, no plates, or defaced or covered plates — the city has lost as much as $38.7 million in unissued tickets since January 2019.”
Aside from lost revenue, safety advocates worry about the impact of scofflaw drivers on road safety. Danny Harris, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives “Drivers who use illegal or fake license plates to avoid accountability make streets more dangerous for all New Yorkers. Our city and state leaders must investigate and put an end to the rise of illegal plates that also steal revenue from critical government programs.”
Kuntzman outlines some key trends: the rate of unreadable plates rose at the same time as the city installed more automated enforcement cameras and coincided with the start of the pandemic, which led to more fraudulent tags as DMV offices closed. “An additional spike in unreadable plates occurred in 2022, when the city’s speed-camera program expanded into a 24-7-365 system, up from just daytime hours on weekdays, providing more incentive for scofflaw drivers to find ways to evade tolls.”
FULL STORY: Data: Unreadable Plates Soared Last Year, Foiling Speed and Red-Light Cameras
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Data Shows Chicago Speed Cameras Reduce Speeding, Crashes
Countering claims made by the Chicago Tribune that automated enforcement doesn’t improve safety, Streetsblog Chicago lays out the data showing how traffic safety fared in camera zones.
States Have Mixed Feelings on Speed Cameras
While some states and cities are embracing automated traffic enforcement as a tool for improving road safety, others are banning the technology over concerns that the programs are designed for profit rather than public benefit.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland